3.2% increase in wholesale and retail revenues in Saudi Arabia

(WAQF) – The general index of operating revenues for the Saudi wholesale and retail trade sector rose by 3.2 percent in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same quarter of 2025, while the index recorded a 0.6 percent decline on a quarterly basis compared to the first quarter of 2026.

Data from the Saudi General Authority of Statistics yesterday showed that the index of operating revenues for the retail trade activity, excluding motor vehicles and motorcycles, rose by 5.2 percent on an annual basis, while revenues for the wholesale trade activity, excluding motor vehicles and motorcycles, increased by 0.8 percent. Operating revenues for the sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles activity rose by 2.7 percent.

The Authority noted that the index of employee compensation in the wholesale and retail trade sector rose by 9 percent on an annual basis during the second quarter of 2026.

The increase was driven by a 10.8 percent rise in employee compensation in the retail trade activity, followed by the wholesale trade activity at 6.6 percent, and then the sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles activity at 5.7 percent.

On a quarterly basis, employee compensation in retail trade rose by 0.8 percent, while it declined by 1.7 percent in the sale and repair of motor vehicles activity and fell by 0.2 percent in wholesale trade.

The index of electronic sales recorded a 9.8 percent increase during the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.

Electronic sales for the retail trade activity rose by 13.4 percent, while those for the wholesale trade activity increased by 6.5 percent. Electronic sales for the sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles activity also rose by 2.4 percent on an annual basis.

On a quarterly basis, the index of electronic sales for retail trade rose by 1.1 percent, while the wholesale trade activity recorded growth of 0.3 percent, and the sale and repair of motor vehicles activity achieved a slight increase of 0.1 percent.

Data from the Authority showed that the index of car sales rose by 0.6 percent during the second quarter compared to the same period last year, and recorded a 0.9 percent increase compared to the first quarter of the current year.